When Texas A&M hired Mike Elko as the program’s head football coach in November of 2023, the Jimbo Fisher era was chaotic, to say the least, as the Aggies failed to live up to their recruiting success, which included landing what many still consider the greatest recruiting class during the 2022 cycle.
Former Texas A&M Athletic Director Ross Bjork, now with Ohio State, initially wanted to hire Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops to succeed Fisher. However, after a bizarre night before Elko was officially hired, which included online pressure from the Aggie fan base, the decision was made.
Elko’s two-year head coaching stint at Duke included a 16-9 record, with nine wins during his first season in North Carolina. After serving as Jimbo Fisher’s defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021, Bjork and the Board of Regents were highly familiar with his elite defensive playcalling and player development.
However, Elko faced immediate questions regarding his ability to recruit at a high level, especially in the SEC. But after landing the 10th-ranked 2025 signing class, these worries slowly disappeared and have all but evaporated after last week’s and this weekend’s immense success in the 2026 recruiting class. After three 2026 commits, including four-star wide receiver Aaron Gregory, shut down their recruitment, showing high confidence in Elko and his staff.
With 19 commits after landing five stars Tristian Givens (edge) and Brandon Arrington (cornerback) over the last two days, Texas A&M’s No. 2-ranked cycle features four top-100 ranked prospects, including three committing since Tuesday, as four-star running back KJ Edwards was the first domino to drop.
As Jaxson Callaway notes, Elko has now beaten out the likes of Tennessee, Texas, and Oregon since early last week. According to several analysts, this is just the start, with several priority prospects set to announce their commitments next month.
Relationships and a clear understanding of how the Aggies’ coaching staff will develop each recruit have been a winning strategy thus far. They will hopefully result in better on-field results for years to come.
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